Judges 2:2

2 You are not to make a covenant^[a] with the people who are living in this land, and you are to tear down their altars.^[b][c]But you have not obeyed Me. What is this you have done?

Judges 2:2 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 2:2

And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land,
&c.] This the Lord charged them not to do, when he covenanted with them, and assured them of bringing them into the land; and yet they had done it, as some instances in the preceding chapter show, which were the occasion of the angel's coming to them to rebuke them, see ( Deuteronomy 7:2 ) ;

you shall throw down their altars;
this they aught to have done as soon as they were come into the land, and possessed of the places where they were erected, to show their detestation of idolatry, and to prevent the use of them to idolatrous purposes, see ( Deuteronomy 7:5 ) ( 12:3 ) ;

but ye have not obeyed my voice;
the command of God, but on the contrary had made leagues and covenants with several inhabitants of the land, allowing them to dwell among them on paying a certain tax or tribute to them; and had suffered their altars to continue, and them to sacrifice upon them to their idols, according to their former customs:

why have ye done this?
transgressed the commandment of God in the instances mentioned. It showed the wickedness of their hearts, their ingratitude to God, who had done such great things for them, and their proneness to idolatry, and liking of it.

Judges 2:2 In-Context

1 The Angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, "I brought you out of Egypt and led you into the land I had promised to your fathers. I also said: I will never break My covenant with you.

2 You are not to make a covenant with the people who are living in this land, and you are to tear down their altars.But you have not obeyed Me. What is this you have done?

3 Therefore, I now say: I will not drive out these people before you. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a trap to you."

4 When the Angel of the Lord had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly.

5 So they named that place Bochim and offered sacrifices there to the Lord.

Footnotes

• [a]. Ex 23:32; Dt 7:2
• [b]. LXX reads with those lying in wait in this land; neither are you to fall down in worship to their gods, but their carved images you must break to pieces and their altars you must destroy
• [c]. Jdg 6:30-32; Ex 34:13; Dt 7:5; 12:3; 2 Ch 34:7